“Ye Ought to Be Teachers”

“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat” (Hebrews 5:12).

All true Christians are teachers. They must teach or backslide, and need themselves to be taught again which be the first principles of the oracles of God. A Christian is a follower of Christ. Now Christ was the greatest teacher that ever appeared among men. By precept, and by example, in word and in deed, He was always going about among men teaching. In Him the Word, the truth, was made flesh, and dwelt among men, ever teaching them the way of the Lord more perfectly. He taught His disciples how to pray, how to give alms, how to fast, how to bring forth much fruit, how to continue patiently in well-doing, sowing beside all waters. He taught in the temple, in the synagogues, in private dwellings, in the wilderness, on the stormy deep, on the mountainside, and at riverside, and wayside, and seaside. He hung His beautiful lessons on the visible things surrounding everyday life, that they might be the better remembered when the great Teacher was gone. His enemies were grieved that He taught in the temple; indeed, they had no sympathy with His teaching anywhere; for He did not teach as the scribes, but with authority divine.

All who follow closely in the footsteps of Jesus will necessarily be teachers. By precept and example they will ever be pointing the way to life everlasting. Every missionary campaign will be a campaign of teaching. By a godly life, by verbal lessons, by printed page, in every way possible they will reveal the everlasting Gospel, the good news of the coming Kingdom, that all who so will may become subjects thereof, and have an abundant entrance therein, when the day of triumph shall come.

Every one of us may be taught of God. He has given abundant provision whereby we may be guided into all truth. As we teach others what the Lord has taught us, we ourselves will be more and more enlightened in the things of God. As we impart to others, our own stock of knowledge will be increased. If we do not teach, we will gradually, although almost imperceptibly, lose what we have. As our interest in, and love for, the truth wanes and fades, our knowledge of the same will also diminish, and the time will come when we need to be instructed again, even in the first principles of the oracles of God—old babes, who have need of milk instead of strong meat.

And what joy, what bliss, it is to teach the story of unseen things above, of Jesus and His love, to interested and receptive minds. Some such good soil, all ready for the good seed, awaits every sower, every teacher, everywhere. If we have the ardent desire, the Lord will give us the opportunity. “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Psalm 37:4).

The gift of teaching ought to be far more generally possessed and used by the church of Christ than it is. Many ought to be teachers that are not, simply because they have neglected the gift that is in them, that was given them of God. Reader, if you are neglecting this gift, begin today. If you must begin with a child, begin at once, lest the gift be taken from you. Your mind will be illuminated, your pathway brightened, when you begin to help others.

Sometimes the pulpit is instructed by the pew. Apollos was eloquent, and mighty in the Scriptures, but the pew, represented by Aquila and Priscilla, expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. This may frequently occur, that he that is taught in the Word can communicate unto him that teacheth, in all good things.

Anciently the Lord chose the tribe of Levi for the firstborn of all Israel. Hence the Levites were priests and teachers, going into the cities, villages, and homes of all the tribes, teaching. All the members of the church of Christ now are the firstborn, hence they are all a royal priesthood, all teachers, When will the remnant church of Christ arise to their blood-bought privilege of enlightening the whole earth with the everlasting Gospel of the soon-coming kingdom, teaching all men, everywhere, to observe all things that the Lord has commanded us, thus learning how to live here, physically, mentally, and spiritually, that they may live hereafter happily, gloriously, and eternally.

(A timely article for missionary work today; it was published in The Signs of the Times, August 16, 1905.)